Amusement device.



Lw. PRIOR @L F. A. CHURCH. AMusr-:MENI DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 23. 19H.

Patented Apr. 29,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Lszs.

T. W. PRIOR Q F. A. CHURCH.

` AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

v APPLICATION FILED APR. 23. 19274 193Q98 v Patented Apr. 29,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

T. W. PRIOR I F.' A. CHURCHa AmusEmEN'nEvlcE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23. 19H.

Patented Apr. 29,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

. mum I 6 T. W. PRIOR 6L F. A. CHURCH.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE. AWLlcATloN FILED APR. 23. 191.1.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

,g Patented Apr. 29,1919.

.Mr/rays "la, i lll THOMAS W. PRIOR AND FREDERICK A( CHURCH, OF VENICE, CALIFORNIA..

Appliation filed April 23, 1917.

To all whom t may concern:

l Be it known that we, THOMAS WV. PRIOR and FREDERICK A. CHURCH, both citizens of the United States, residing at Venice, in

the county of Los Angeles and State of Clalifornia, have invented a new and useful Amusement Device, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to amusement devices, being more particularly what is known as a merry-go-round, and is of the type shown and described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,082,764, granted to us on Decemberl 30th, 1913, in which the rider supports change their relative position during the movement of the platform.

Other objects of the invention are to pro-.

duce a simplified form of construction for the various parts of the device, so that the device as a whole may be easily constructed and simply operated.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter from the following description.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view illus trating a form of our invention, a portion ofA such view being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through one-half of the device shown in Fig. 1, showing the parts enlarged.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan. view illustrating the rider support connections.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional plan view showing one of the motors and connections for operating the rider supports.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a .vertical view, partly in section, on an enlarged scale, showing a rider support.

Fi 7 Fig.

is a sectional view on line 7--7 Specification of Letters Patent.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

Serial No. 164,071.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic face view of an electric controlling device.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical connections of the parts shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Fig. 11 is-a plan view, partly in section, of the pilot device.

l5 designates an outer platform or rider platform circular in form and having arranged thereon a plurality of rider supports 16 arranged in a series of groups17, in the present instance each group having four rider supports therein. Arranged within the platform 15 is an inner platform or scenery platform 18 supported on a series of wheels 19 rotatably mounted on the frame 20 of the rider platform. The frame 20 eX- tends inwardly from the platform 15 and is provided with a bearing 21 rotatably mounted on a center post or mastv 22 arranged in the center of the platforms 15 and 18. The rider platform 15 is supported on a series of flanged wheels 23 mounted on the underside of the platform 15 which travel on a circular track 24 secured in any suitable manner to a suitable foundation 25. One or more of the wheels 23 is driven by means of a motor 26 carried on the frame 20, the motor being connected by a belt 27 to a shaft 28 connected by a universal joint 29 to a shaft 30, to which the wheel 23 is secured in anv well known manner.

Each rider support 16 is mounted on a rod 34 vertically slidable in a hollow post or standard 35 which extends through a slot 36 concentrically arranged in the rider platform with respect to the center post 22, each rider support having its individual post 35V and an associated slot 36 in the riderplatform. Each rod 34 is vertically slidably mounted in a truck 37, being elastically held against such sliding movement bv means of coiled springs 38 which engage therebetween a collar 39 secured to the rod 34. Each truck 37 is providedy with two grooved wheels 40 which run upon a circular track 41 mounted upon the foundation under the platform, the elevation of the track being undulating as `shown in Fig. 6, so that the truck traveling over the track 41 imparts a rocking movement to its associated rider support, as hereinafter described. The upper end of the rod l 34 is rigidly connected to a fork 43, the ends of which are mounted on bolts 44 extending longitudinally of the rider support and mounted yin a frame 45 secured withina cavity 46 formed in the underside of the rider support. This connection permits. a sidewise pivotal movement or swinging movement of the rider support on its supporting rod,.the rider support being elastically held in its central position on the rod 34 by meansof coiled springs 47 connected to the fork-43 and the inner walls of the cavity 46 at the opposite sides of the ro'd 34.- The post. 35 is mounted on acarriage 48 supported by rollersv49 vjournaledon the carriage, which rollers run between guide tracks 50 secured by means of suitable brackets 51 to the underside of the platform 15.

52,52 designate guide rollers journaledon the carriage 48 which` engage the inner face of the tracks 50 to prevent lateral displace-V ment of the carriage. The upper end of each rod 34 slidably extends through a bushing 55, which bushing 55 is pivotally mounted .by meansof pins 56 in the upper end of its associated post 35. 60 designates flanged pilot wheels arranged forward of the carriage 48 which engage in the guide tracks 50, the pilot wheels being mounted on` a frame 61 consisting of bars 62 pivotally connected at their rear ends on the axle 63 of the rollers 49 and pivotally connected at their lower ends .to the forward end of bars 64, which bars are pivotally con* nected Vat their rear end toa block 65 secured to the lower end of the rod 34. The undulati'ons vof the track41 cause the truck 37 to tilt, which vtilting, motion causes the upper end of the rod 34 to swing back and forth, and as thebushing55 is pivotally connected to the post 35, as heretofore described, the upper end of the post swings back and forth on' the carriage48. The rod is also permitted to swing, to some extent, in the post 35, as the post 35 is substantially elliptical in cross section, allowing space ybetween the rod andY` the .walls ofL the post, as indicated at 66 inFig.11. The racing feature of the ride is accomplished` inthe following manner: It is to be noted that the rider supports 16 are arranged in groups 17 as heretofore referred to..y :In the presentinstance there are four rider supports in each group. The relative position of the ridersupports in each group is changedf during the ride so that the riders in. the respective groups are unable to tell which rider in the group. will be ahead at the finish-of` the ride. The position of the rider supports is changed by means of devices carried on Ythe undersideof the plate form-15.` In the form shown, twoy motors 7 0 are secured to the underside 'of the platform, as diagrammatically illustrated in Fim 3.`V Each motor 70, through the Inediumpflthe.,V chain of gears 71, drives a'shaft 72 journaled ,oss

in brackets 73',- which brackets are-secured, to the underside of the platform 15. Each shaft 72 has securedgthereto two. sprocket wheels 74 which in turn drive sprocket chains 75, the sprocket chains running over idlers 76 on a shaft 77 mounted in a bracket 78, which bracket is secured to the underside of the platform 15. Each chain has a lug 79 secured thereto,lto which is secured a cable 80, there being two cables 80.. driven. through the mechanismjustdescribed by each motor 70. Each cable 80is attached to one ofthe rider supports 16 in each group V of rider supports on the platform,'such attachment being through the mediumv of'a clip 81 secured y.to .the bar .62 .on the rider support heretofore referred to. f j' As .shown in Fig. 3,.it is to be noted that the cables 480.are attached ,to'rider supports having different positions in therespective groups of riderv supports, .that is, one cable 8O may be attached; .irstito a rider supportV in the first group; second, from'the outside of the platfornn'and then connected tothe third rider supportfrom the outside in Vthe next group, then tothe inner side support in the next group,and so on,y the 'particular arrangement of attaching the j cable `to the rider supports in` the various groupsbeing arranged `as maybe desired,`it4 .simplycbe ing necessary that each cable is attached to one rider support in each group onVV the plat-j form.- By this arrangement, the movement of the sprocket chains 75 causes the cables attached thereto to move -forward and back so that a forward and back movement is-imparted to the 'respective rider supportswith relation to each other, so that during the4 ride the rider supports are continuously changing their relative position. p Y. It is imderstoodthat the racing feature of.. the ride does not necessarilyfhave the same durationy `as the movement of theplatform, that is-,the platform -may bestarted, afterwhich the racing feature` is started.. l-..'1he length of time of the racing feature isv con-- trolled electrically and is of predetermined length, the controlling device being illusf trated in Figs. 8,49 and-10 of the drawings, and consists of a vertical. rod slidably sup ported in brackets 91011.y aboard 92, the lower end of the rod` being. weighted asindicated at 93, -portion 94 of the rod 90 is substantially., square in.l .cross ...sectiom which portion is provided .with .a vertical slot -95 and a series of .perforations .96V ex= tending transversely therethrough.: 97 desig! nates a pin which :may b e vplaced in the per? forations 96, there being one perforation for each revolution of the platform, and, as shown in Fig. 85`if thepin 97 isin the tenth perforation from the top, the racing fea ture will have a duration. of ten revolutions of the platform 15,*as hereinafter more fullw y described.

noo-2,03@

Extending into the upper portion of the slot 95 is al trip 98 formed on the end 'of a shaft 99 supported oii o switch boord 100i 101 designates a blade 'switch having a hndle 102 pivot-ally inounted at 103 'on the switch board 100, and 101 'designates the con toet terminals of the `lino; Seoured to the shaft 99 are two dogs 105 vhieh engage the connecting bor 106 of the blade ioiof the siviioii, the nego' 1015 holding tho switch iii closed position agonist the actioii of the coil spring 107 'iiiiii'oii is iiioiiiiteii a support 10S 'soiied iii suitable iiiaiiiier to the Switch boord 10o.` The upper portion of 'the rod 90 is provided with a series of teeth 110 iidoptod to be engaged by o piyote'd dog 111 secured t6 the lower end of a rod 112,` tho upporoiid of the 16d 112 boing provided with 1611er- 113 adapted to be engaged by a earn or lng 114 securedA in "any suitable maiiiioi to o portion of the sooiiory plat; formas iiidii@1to1` it 1,15, iii Fig. 2. The rod 112 is held elatieany iii 11i-fs ripper posi; tion by iiioiis or a ooiieaspiiifig 11o wiiioii engage@ zigaiiiet a Collar 117 eiid 't th rod 112. no trio roller 113 and the 'rod 11,2 oro depressed by trio nig 11,1, trio nog 111 is' moved dowriiiiiiraiy and eiigage nio iioiit tooth ofi the rod 90, ood os the nig 11ipanos from oiigogoiiioiit with the rolii 11,3 the con Spring 116 iois'os trio 'rod 112, and through the medium of the dog 111 'raises the rod 90 nio equivalent 'of nio dit-orio@ totivoofi nio poiiioi-Iotioii 9e fiiid nie sonoro portion of nio foo aaiiioioby tiiiiigiiig nio pio 97 oooiioi nio 981. The rod 901e sopporto@ diiring the dovntyrd 'no'v'einent 'of the rod 112 by iiiooiio of o piifotod dogma, which dog' iii tiiiiii is oiippoiito by iiiooiis or o nig 121 formed oii oiesottiiigiiioohoiiisiii 1 22, w-iiioh resetting iiioohoiii'oiii @oriente of o 12e hoviiig 111g1 y oppor iiigiei iiiiiioh engage nio dog 111, ov hoodie 1125-, brooiiots ,126" supporting iii toi 123, omi oooil spring 127 iifiiioh riots against ogiioo 'collar 128 oii iii-o loof` io iioio tho boi iiiiio oppor position, niort io, the position oiioiiiii iii Figi: e". when nio nig 111 has operated the inehanieni as bo've described a sniiieient number of tii'nes to bring tiiopi-ii 971Mo engagoiiioiit ivitlitiio iijip 9B, nio 11i-1p `98, is iiioyed upwardly, thereby" Swingingv 'tho ,dogs 105 out of iiigogoiiioiii with the bai" 106y of the switch, and, the Siiiitoii is opoiiod by iiioiis o1 the ooii Spiiiiig 107. thereby breliingithe Circ-uit between the Surface iiiioo 1:10` and the foodzliiis 131- io nio iiioioii 70,255 diagiiii-iiiiiiotionyillusione- 1 in Fig. 10.. This stopping of the iiioior 'siope tho roiiigfeature o1 the ride, that io,

nio rider sopporto are iio loiigof iiiovod iv'itii respect toooeh other through nio iiiodiiiiii of the cables and remain iedrelative position' dring the remainder of the 'i-iiigo. rho Soiano lino-s 1302111 ooiiiiootooiv 1 formed thereon,- on

through rings 132 and bruslies 133 to the power lines 134, this connection of rings and briishesl being necessary, due to the fao't that the nrotors 26 and 70 are carried on moving parts, the mast 22,--carrying the ring 132, being Stationery. The duration of the ride in the present instantie is controlled by an eleotjic controller 135 which may be of any snitable forni; 'such Controller being in the oir'cit between the niotor 26 and the service line 130.

Aze heretofore /freferred to, the scelnery platfriil 18 is rottted in the reverse dire@u tion to the rider platform 15. This iS Carried ont in the following' manner: The scenery platform 18 being freely movable o-ii tno ivhoolo 19 ot the bottoni or lower prtifl, it is also frely iotatble at 18() 0n the a'st Q2; 181 ldesig"natos a frame On` the inside 'of the 'platform 18-7 the inner end of Whih isV bolt-ador senied in any suitable manner to the li'ub 182 of a gear 183, the gooi 18e boing loosely moiiiitod oii the most 22; 181 designates a gear fined to the mast 22 `which drives a gear 185 s'eeiired to a shaft 186 iiioiiiiioii 'upon o fioiiio 'Support 1,88 oo'- o'ured to the fraine 20 of the 'outer platform 1,5.` 187 designates; o goor 'sooiiiiod to tho sliaft 186 lwhich engages the gear 183 iixed to nio fioiiio 181 of tho iiiiiei `piotioiiii 18. As the onter platform 15 in driven or ro` tatoo on nio 12115122, ino goor 185 is rooiiod, which in turn rotateS the gea-1'* 187, the gear 187 rotating the gear 183, `which in tnrn being' "stir'ed to the frame A181 of lthe inner platfoiiii oa'iiso the inner platform to travel in the reverse direction to the outer platform, the ratio of the gears 184 and 185 and the gears 18'3and 187 being so proportioned as to 'canso the inner platform to travel as ju'St deeribed.

The. seenery platform consists' of 'a horizontal portion 190 wliiehniay' be designated the foreground and a substantially Vertical inolined poi'tinn 191 iyihieh1 inay be designated the background, a foii'oo 192 boing orioiigd oloiig' the outer odge of tho platn forni 18 adj acont to the ont-er platforn'i 15, and there 'also being arranged radially disposed short fences 193 which blend ofi' at their inner ends into scenery `which may be painted iipon the background 191, snob scenery not being illustrated in the drawings. The eifect of the arrangement of the fences 192 and 193, 'and the vvScenery on the baokgronnd of the seenery platform, being suoli as to oreate the illusion to the riders Of tayling 017er i'ae CISe. V

In starting the ride, the controller 135 is operated to lplae the large motor 26 in oir'- cuit, the large motor being geared as here# tofore described to run the platform 15 earryinglthe rider supports; After the platfoirn 15l has obtained its momentum,- the raofeaitlireV of tlie ride is started through .'circuit to the motors 70.

platform 18 is slowly moved in the opposite direction as heretofore described. This is for the purpose of creating an illusion to the riders that the horses on the innerside of the rider platform are moving as fast as those on the outer side.

Y In ordinary merry-go-rcunds the riders.

on the outside or greatest diameter of the platform move through a greater distancel than those on the inner side, and in passing objects they apparently move much faster,

but by moving the inner platform slowly in the opposite direction the riders on the inner side of the rider platform may be caused to pass objects on the scenery platform, such as the fences, at the same rate of speed as the riders on the outer side of the rider platform pass stationary objects on the outside of the platform, and by this movement of.

the scenery platform the riders on the platform have the illusion that they are moving at the same speed as those on the outer por- .l

tion of the rider platform.

We claim as our invention: 1. vAn amusement device comprising an outer rotatable platform, rider supports on said outerjiilatform, means for moving said rider supports backward and forwardv with respect-to the platform during its rotation, -means for driving said outer platform, an

inner rotatable platform, stationary objectsl on said inner platform, and means for driving said innerplatform in the opposite direcf tion to the outer platform.

ingy said outer platform, means for moving each said rider supports backward and' for- I ward ywith relation to each other, an'inner rotatable platform, stationary objects on Said inner platform, and means for driving said inner platform inthe opposite direction to the outer platform.

3. An amusement device comprising any inner platform, and means for driving said... inner platform in the opposite direction to ,the outer platform, said inner platformjcon sisting of a Ahorizontal portion terminating at its inner endge in a substantially vertical portion, said inner platformhaving a repre; sentation of scenery thereon. f l l 4. An amusement device comprising an outer rotatable platform, amast, a frame rotatablyconnecting saidv outer platform tosaid mast, means for driving said outer platform, an inner rotatable platform, a series of wlieelson said frame for supporting said inner platform thereon, a' gear Xed to saidinner platform loosely mounted on said mast,y

a second gear fixedvto said mast, and connectionsl carried onsaid frame between said first named gear and saidsecond gear whereby in the opposaid inner platform is rotated site direction to the outer platform. -v

5.An amusement vdevice comprising an, outer rotatable platform, a circular'trackf under said platform, a series of wheels mounted-on ,said platform adapted to sup port the platform on said track, means for driving said outer platform, a plurality of rider supports on said platform, a plurality of undulating tracks -under said outerplatform, means on said rider supports engaging said undulating tracks for;supporting said` rider supports and adapted to impart a rocking movement to said rider supports, an inner rotatable platform, and means for driving said inner platform in the opposite direction to said outer platform. Y

f 6.- An amusement device comprising. an,

' outer rotatable platform, an inner rotatable platform, means for rotating said platforms outer rotatable platform,uan inner rotatable platform, means for rotating said platforms y10o in opposite directions, aplurality of groups of i'ider supports on the outer platform, and

in opposite directions, a plurality of groups means for varying the position of the rider of rider supports ontheouter platform,

2. An amusement 'device comprising an'4 outer rotatable platform, movable rider supports on said outer platform, means for drivp jllO means comprising a series of' cables, each cable being attached-to one rider support in every group, and means, for moving said cables back and forth.

8. An amusement device comprising',y an outer rotatable platform, an inner rotatable platform, means forrotating said platforms in opposite directions, a plurality of groups of rider supports on the outer platform,

' means for varying the positionl of the rider.

supports in each group, .said last named means comprising a series of cables, each cable being attached to one rider support in every group, means-forfinoving said cables back and forth, and means forrocking said ias,

rider supports during the rotation` of the l outerplatform'. f ,y l 9;AnI amusement Vdevicecomprising an Outer. .rentable PIePfOr-el?.

@series 0f groups.

of rider supports on said outer platform, means for rotating said outer platform, means for varying the position of the rider supports in each group forward and rearward of each other during the rotation of the outer platform, means for automatically stopping such movement of the rider supports With respects to the platform, and means for rocking the rider supports through the rotating movement of the platform.

10. An amusement device comprising an outer rotatable platform, a series of groups of rider supports on said outer platform, means for rotating said outer platform, means for varying the position of the rider supports in each group forward and rearward during the rotation of the outer platform, means for automatically stopping such movement of the rider supports with respect to the platform, means under the platform for rocking and'supporting the rider supports throughout the rotating movement of the platform, an inner rotatable platform, and means for driving said inner rotatable platform in the opposite direction to the outer rotatable platform throughout the rotation of the outer platform.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto set our hands at Los Angeles, California, this 12th day of April, 1917.

THOMAS WV. PRIOR. FREDERICK A. CHURCH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

